When I started off my adult life what now seems like an eternity ago, I was a different man. I was extremely driven, worked all the hours God sent, went out with my friends at weekends and pursued a number of hobbies. No time to chill or relax, I was well and truly caught up in the rat race. At the time, I was convinced that life would just continue in the same vein and expected myself to remain a rather ambitious and wealthy, career orientated man of the 21st century – indefinitely. Maybe somewhere at the back of my mind, I had a vague idea that having a family of my own could be an option, but that thought never really took root; I was just too busy for all that! Freedom, independence, financial abundance and my career seemed to fulfill me then and, looking back at that time now, I know and understand why. Maybe I needed a time of fast-paced singleton living to prepare me for what I have now, maybe I just didn’t have a clue how fulfilling having a wife and kids can be!
It all changed one day, when Adila walked through the door of my office and though it may sound corny, I knew right there and then that she was “the one” for me! To start with, she looked stunningly attractive and once she smiled, my mind went blank and I barely managed to speak to her. When we talk about that day, Adila just laughs, because she remembers my stuttering only too well. Of course, she tried to play it cool to the best of her ability, but by all accounts, she instantly felt our connection just as much as I did.
The rest, they say, is history and once I got over my initial blushes I managed to ask her out on a date and things took off from there.
Our wedding day was the best day of my life and at that stage I had already completely forgotten why I had valued my single life so much. There I was with this amazing woman by my side, what more could a man wish for? Life at work, continued as usual, however, my focus was now on Adila and I must say that leaving work in the evenings to go home to my beloved wife became my favorite thing to do! To my surprise, my colleagues told me at that time that married life really suited me, that I had become much more approachable and understanding and even a pleasure to work with! My boss was happy too and soon I was promoted to the position of team manager. It was only when in charge of a team that I discovered the social side of my personality and working as a team, supporting and advising team members, began to satisfy me hugely on a professional level. The added responsibility suited me right from the beginning, and I cannot imagine work life any other way now.
When we met, Adila made it very clear that she wanted kids and I agreed, even though I had no idea of what an impact becoming a father would have on me. It hit me like a freight train, I must say, in a good way, of course, but all those lucky enough to be fathers, will know what I am talking about. The pride and joy, the infinite love you instantly harbor in your heart are truly mind-blowing and forever life-changing.
All the milestones, the first smile, the first kick in the face, the first time they clap, eat and laugh just bowl you over, and when the little ones start walking and talking the fun really begins! Gone are the days when your time is your own, you are forever on call, requests keep flying in and kids have a healthy disrespect for adults’ moods and stresses and seem to just pull you out of them and demand your full attention.
Describing being a husband and father as a privilege doesn’t come close, words fail me when I try to explain just how blessed I feel.
Because Adila and I have some much fun with the kids and with my background in IT, building a website focused on family fun was the obvious thing to do. With the website, we have been trying to provide useful information for moms, dads and kids. We also have the larger community in mind and as it happens, we have been fortunate enough to provide support for local businesses and community groups on our website. Through the promotion of events and business activities in our area and the making available of advertising space, we have been in a position to embrace not only our immediate family life but also the life of our entire community.